Grays Almanac

Home/Episodes/Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

‘Ace Ventura: Pet Detective’ With Bill Simmons, Zach Lowe, and Craig Horlbeck

February 10, 2026 · Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) · Comedy · 1:48:07 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 9:29Jim Carrey's salary progression: $350k for Ace Ventura, $450k for The Mask, $7M for Dumb and Dumber, $10M for Ace Ventura 2, $20M for The Cable Guy
Craig Horlbeck▶ 10:06Morgan Creek Productions CEO Jim Robinson said 'make a film that nobody my age gets'; the movie was completely panned by critics like Ebert
Zach Lowe▶ 9:24Jim Carrey was paid less than half a million for Ace Ventura (from Ringer or Vulture story); The Cable Guy broke Hollywood with Tom Cruise-level money for making faces

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Craig Horlbeck▶ 27:31How did she pretend her character to be into this psychopath basically? How could Courtney Cox's character believably be attracted to Jim Carrey's weird Ace Ventura character

Horlbeck Runtime Scale

Bill Simmons▶ 35:04Plus 14 on the Horlbeck scale
Craig Horlbeck▶ 35:1686 minutes is perfect length - doesn't feel too short and has everything you want

Great Shot Gordo Award

Bill Simmons▶ 40:44The scene with all the pets coming out (raccoon from toilet, penguins from fridge, etc.)

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 1:06:55Star Trek impressions and Jim Carrey's intro to the credits song where he says 'put that big ass size 13 on and kick it for the homies'
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:09:06The ending credits song with Jim Carrey's intro and professional sports teams having live animal mascots
Zach Lowe▶ 1:07:46Some of the big scripted jokes are flat out not funny, like talking out of the ass and the Tex Cobb mirror joke

Overacting Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:12:48Sean Young — Sean Young - specifically her final warehouse scene performance where she's convulsing and shaking
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:12:58Sean Young — Described Sean Young's warehouse scene performance as psychotic breakdown with twitching, sweating and shaking
Zach Lowe▶ 1:12:09Sean Young — Discussed Mark Ruffalo's head-smacking scene and agreed about Sean Young's bizarre warehouse performance being like a seizure

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:14:03Jim Carrey should have gotten an Oscar nomination for this role
Bill Simmons▶ 1:16:16Dan Marino in Ace Ventura is the fourth best athlete playing himself cameo of all time
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:14:09Supports Jim Carrey Oscar nomination - argues his performance is irreplaceable and nobody else could do what he did while making $100 million
Zach Lowe▶ 1:13:42Initially offered takes about big jokes and Courtney Cox being bland, but Bill deemed these not hot enough

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:19:22Rick Moranis — Lists Rick Moranis (declined), Lauren Howie turned down Courtney Cox's role, Daniel Stern was supposed to direct, Judd Nelson considered; believes Rick Moranis casting could have happened but skeptical of some internet claims
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:19:26Says the entire cast and what-ifs for Ace Ventura belongs in 'what's aged the worst' category
Zach Lowe▶ 1:19:31Alan Rickman — Mentions Whoopi Goldberg and David Algarve turned it down, skeptical of Judd Nelson and Alan Rickman claims saying they feel made up by the internet; can't imagine Alan Rickman in this movie

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:21:32Ray Finkel's mom, Miss Finkel -- 'I dig her performance... The gonorrhea line kills me.'
Zach Lowe▶ 1:21:17The mocking cop whose every line is a heat check ('Homicide, Ventura. How are you going to solve that one?' -- stepping on the bug, all over the top); says no to Dan Marino, and endorses Miss Finkel as a great candidate ('She commands that house for two minutes').

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:28:31Runs the rundown: Carrey -- not yet, apex is after Dumb and Dumber (1994 overall is a general apex mountain for comedy actors); Courtney Cox -- not yet, it's Scream and Friends simultaneously; Dan Marino -- no, mid-80s; the Dolphins -- this is arguably their apex of the last 30 years; Miami movies no, pet detectives yes.
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:29:36Says Ace Ventura is not the best 1994 Jim Carrey movie (Dumb and Dumber first), while agreeing the year is the one-year comedy-actor apex.
Zach Lowe▶ 1:29:48Doesn't particularly like The Mask; the one-two punch of Ace Ventura and Dumb and Dumber is the heart of Carrey's 1994 apex -- 'you could just retire after that.'

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 1:34:31Who fed and walked Ace's ~20 pets all day while he's gone for long stretches? Also: Ace just happens to find the right room at the mental institution with all the Lois Einhorn evidence, and the real Finkel-game score was 38-16 (they cheated making it a one-point miss).
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:36:10Why was Finkel a midseason replacement kicker if he holds two Division 1 records? The Eagles mascot on the Dolphins sideline getting Gatorade; Einhorn's 'Want some refreshments, Dan?' exit; and her entire multi-year plan (escape, rise to Miami PD lieutenant, become a woman, kidnap Marino).
Zach Lowe▶ 1:35:28Wants the Super Bowl resolved -- who won, does Snowflake perform, how does Marino do, who goes to prison; calls the removal of the dolphin-trainer scene 'unconscionable'; plus the incompetent oafish goons and just walking into an expensive mental institution.

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:39:58Tom Thibodeau — Mentions standard options (Wayne Jenkins, Fergie the Florist, A Million People) and proposes Tom Thibodeau as a basketball-themed option for Zach
Zach Lowe▶ 1:40:22Tom Thibodeau — Tom Thibodeau could be one of the henchmen at the end

Memorabilia Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:44:00The Collier County Home to Ray Stinkle sign
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:43:54The ring or any of the 90s Dolphins memorabilia
Zach Lowe▶ 1:43:30Ray Finkel's ring with the missing stone, die-dan-die crocheted coasters, notebook with 'laces out' scrawled on it, or the mannequin with Merino jersey and knife in heart

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:44:35Laces out
Zach Lowe▶ 1:44:41You can be an absolute dick to this beautiful woman and still end up with her in the end (worst life lesson)

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:45:10There's Something About Mary — There's Something About Mary and Dumb and Dumber
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:45:21Dumb and Dumber
Zach Lowe▶ 1:45:19Dumb and Dumber

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:45:23Jim Carrey — Suggested Jim Carrey but immediately moved to other topics

Movies Referenced (52)

Dumb and Dumber (1994)

12 mentions · Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck, Zach Lowe▶ 8:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Mask (1994)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Zach Lowe▶ 8:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Forrest Gump (1994)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck▶ 21:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Star Trek (2009)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Zach Lowe▶ 42:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Celtic Pride (1996)

3 mentions · Zach Lowe, Bill Simmons▶ 1:42:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Pulp Fiction (1994)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck▶ 21:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Crying Game (1992)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tommy Boy (1995)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck▶ 12:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Zoolander (2001)

3 mentions · Zach Lowe, Bill Simmons▶ 18:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Happy Gilmore (1996)

2 mentions · Craig Horlbeck▶ 17:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rushmore (1998)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:16:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Scream (1996)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:28:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (5)

Alvaro Cajal

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Guardians of the Galaxy▶ 1:46:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Clint Eastwood

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, Unforgiven▶ 5:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Colorado

1 mentions · Craig Horlbeck · Known for Hancock▶ 1:10:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kevin Costner

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Dances with Wolves, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves▶ 34:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Bellany

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Bourne Ultimatum, Stardust▶ 1:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (81)

Dan Marino

36 mentions · Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck, Zach Lowe · Known for Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Any Given Sunday, Bad Boys II▶ 36:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jim Carrey

32 mentions · Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck, Zach Lowe · Known for Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Bruce Almighty, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind▶ 3:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jennifer Aniston

12 mentions · Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck, Zach Lowe · Known for We're the Millers▶ 30:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sean Young

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Zach Lowe, Craig Horlbeck · Known for Blade Runner 2049, Dune, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective▶ 34:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Hanks

10 mentions · Zach Lowe, Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck · Known for Cast Away, Big, Forrest Gump▶ 1:14:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Luke Wilson

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Zach Lowe · Known for Old School, The Royal Tenenbaums▶ 1:13:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Cruise

6 mentions · Zach Lowe, Craig Horlbeck, Bill Simmons · Known for Top Gun, Mission: Impossible II, Minority Report▶ 9:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jerry Seinfeld

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck · Known for Bee Movie▶ 29:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lauren Hutton

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Zach Lowe · Known for American Gigolo, Once Bitten▶ 6:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

LeBron James

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Hustle▶ 32:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alan Rickman

4 mentions · Zach Lowe, Bill Simmons · Known for Die Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves▶ 1:19:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Will Ferrell

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Zach Lowe · Known for Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Blades of Glory▶ 7:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (6)

Roger Ebert

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Zach Lowe, Craig Horlbeck▶ 10:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Letterman

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Zach Lowe▶ 5:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jack Bernstein

1 mentions · Zach Lowe · Known for Ace Ventura: Pet Detective▶ 48:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Judd Apatow

1 mentions · Craig Horlbeck · Known for The King of Staten Island, Knocked Up▶ 19:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Patch Adams

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Patch Adams▶ 47:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Holland

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Child's Play▶ 1:15:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗